HOUSE BILL NO. 97                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act repealing the insurance tax credit for gifts                                                                       
     to the Alaska fire standards council; and providing                                                                        
     for an effective date."                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
4:40:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STEVE THOMPSON,  SPONSOR, introduced himself.                                                                    
He thanked the committee for hearing the bill.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MAX   THOMPSON,   SON,    REPRESENTATIVE   STEVE   THOMPSON,                                                                    
introduced himself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
FORREST   WOLFE,  STAFF,   REPRESENTATIVE  STEVE   THOMPSON,                                                                    
introduced himself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Thompson  explained   that  the   bill  had                                                                    
originated  from  a  search for  indirect  expenditures.  He                                                                    
explained that the  bill pertained to a tax  credit that had                                                                    
been  established in  2000 to  allow insurance  companies to                                                                    
donate to  establishing the  fire standards  council. During                                                                    
the  process of  the bill  passing through  the legislature,                                                                    
other funding had been located  and the tax credit had never                                                                    
been utilized.  He elaborated that  no one had  ever donated                                                                    
or taken a  tax credit in the 18 years  since the passage of                                                                    
the bill. He believed it was  time to remove the credit from                                                                    
statute. He encouraged the committee to pass the bill.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
Representative Guttenberg asked if  Mr. Max Thompson thought                                                                    
they should pass the bill.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Max Thompson replied in the affirmative.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster  listed  individuals available  online  for                                                                    
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster OPENED and CLOSED public testimony.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:43:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Vice-Chair  Gara  reviewed the  zero  fiscal  note from  the                                                                    
Department of Public Safety.                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Seaton MOVED to REPORT  HB 97(STA) out of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being  NO OBJECTION,  HB 97(STA)  was REPORTED  out of                                                                    
committee with a "do pass"  recommendation and with one zero                                                                    
fiscal note from the Department of Public Safety.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative   Wilson  requested   to   hear  any   public                                                                    
testimony that may have been online for HJR 23.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  agreed; however,  there were  no testifiers                                                                    
remaining online. Public testimony would begin at 7:00 p.m.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
4:46:14 PM                                                                                                                    
RECESSED                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
7:03:47 PM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED